This invention relates generally to the field of gas laser systems, and more particularly to improvements in electric discharge flowing gas lasers.
With the development of the high energy laser, significant military, research and industrial applications of this laser have become apparent. Extensive research and development on electrical discharge, flowing gas lasers, and particularly CO.sub.2 lasers, has been undertaken to investigate the effects of lasers on materials, and to improve the power output capability and operational efficiency of the high energy gaseous laser. For weapon systems, and especially for airborne applications thereof, operational efficiency, power output and bulkiness of high energy laser systems are premier considerations. Therefore, efforts have been directed toward improving the performance of the laser such as by increasing the efficiency of the pumping mechanism within the laser cavity, increasing the amount of laser medium subject to the discharge, increasing the input power, and improving the geometry of the laser system.
The invention herein described represents a significant improvement in electrical discharge flowing gas lasers, and, in particular, provides a novel laser cavity configuration to optimize the performance of an electrical discharge coaxial CO.sub.2 laser used for the evaluation of laser effects on materials. The novel cavity configuration of this invention may significantly increase the power output of a gas laser without beam distortion, and comprises an optical resonant cavity having a U-shape and having two laser cavity portions, optically interconnected, and configured to intercommunicate, which significantly enhances pumping within each cavity portion and increases the volume of gaseous laser medium subject to discharge. The power supply thus provides power to each cavity portion with increased efficiency, resulting in significantly increased laser power output, and substantially reduces the space needed to contain the laser device compared to that required for a straight configuration of comparable power.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved laser device.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved laser device configuration exhibiting significant increase in efficiency, and power output.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a flowing gas laser having substantially improved efficiency with diminished space requirements.
These and other objects of the present invention, as would occur to one with skill in the field of this invention, will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.